


Now Who’s the Coward?

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Arguing, Confrontations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Face Punching, Fist Fights, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Not Beta Read, Post-Malex, Protective Kyle, Still not a fix-it, could be pre-kylex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 14:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18692944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Post Episode 1x13Kyle is angry at how Michael & Maria treated Alex so when he sees the couple together, he gives them a piece of his mind





	Now Who’s the Coward?

It had been over a month and Alex still hadn’t cried. Not even once, not a single tear. Kyle really believed it wasn’t healthy, wasn’t a good sign but whenever he asked how he was doing, Alex would shrug and say he was fine. He wasn’t fine though and they both knew it.

Kyle tried everything to get him to open up, to wallow, to cry, to scream, to just  _ react _ ; to feel. He  _ knew  _ Alex was in pain even if the soldier was determined to keep up a brave front and a stoic face but Kyle was just waiting for the penny to drop. He kept an eye out for  _ any _ signs that Alex had finally gotten the pain out but there were none. Either Alex was really hiding it or he was simply refusing to acknowledge it. Kyle believed it was the latter.

He was on his way over to Alex’s place for movie night; his friend was threatening to make him watch Star Trek or Star Wars or whatever but he was okay with that. They’d already worked their way through all the Die Hard movies and Kyle suspected that Alex was purposely avoiding any film that was even remotely romantic.

 

Kyle stopped the car and made his way into the store, sought out Alex’s favorite potato chips and a box of milk duds; hoping his friend would remember how they used to fight over boxes of them in their youth. He thought of the time they fought so vigorously that the box flew from their hands and straight into the fireplace, wondered if Alex remembered it too.

He was making his way back to the car, purchases tucked under his arm, when he saw the two of them and his entire body shook with rage. Kyle tried to ignore the fact Michael’s arm was around Maria’s waist by opening the car door and placing the bag on the seat but then he heard Michael’s laugh and he stood up straighter, held his head up high and started after them.

 

“You disgust me, Guerin” Kyle spat, very loudly.

Both Michael and Maria turned around to look at him. Michael’s face instantly hardened, his dislike for Kyle still very prominent but Maria had the decency to look ashamed.

 

“The love of his life and his best friend?” Kyle snapped. “That's the ultimate fucking betrayal, you know that right?”

“Shut up, Valenti” Guerin cut him off. His voice laced with venom.

“There's no coming back from something like that” Kyle’s eyes shifted to Maria who had pulled away from Michael. “I hope it was worth it”

“Kyle-” she started but Michael interrupted.

“I don’t see how this is  _ any _ of your business” Michael stepped towards Kyle.

“Seeing my best friend in pain, is entirely my business, Guerin” Kyle spat in anger.

“Your best friend? That’s rich, coming from the guy who single handedly made his high school years a living hell. He was beaten and belittled at home by his own father then would go to school and have to put up with that same shit from you!”

 

Michael shoved Kyle but the doctor didn’t even flinch.

“I was a dumb, stupid jock” Kyle admitted “and I regret how badly I treated him but I’ve seen the error of my ways and I’m doing everything I can to make it up to him.

Michael snorted but Kyle turned to Maria.

“You knew how he felt” Kyle said to her “did you just not care about him?”

 

“Alex is my best friend” Maria insisted. “I had no idea… when this started…”

“When you hooked up… once!” Kyle shouted “but then you did know… and you didn’t care that you’d hurt him because you only care about yourself!”

 

“Hey!” Michael shouted at Kyle to draw his focus away from Maria.

“Don’t you dare start on her” Michael glared at Kyle.

“Why not? As far as I can see, you’re both equally to blame, both responsible for making a dumb decision”

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Valenti” Michael reached for Maria’s hand but she didn’t take it, was still looking at Kyle.

“Kyle, sweetie, you’re drunk and you should go home before you say or do something you’ll regret” she sounded sympathetic as she reached out for him but Kyle waved her concern away.

“I am  _ not _ drunk!” He hissed “just… fucking angry”

“Go home, Kyle” Michael hissed “just turn around and walk away”

“Like  _ you _ did, you mean?” Kyle snapped as he clenched his hands into fists, seething inside. “By choosing  _ her _ ”

 

Maria looked from Kyle to Michael and back again. She’d been waiting for an outburst like this from Alex, not Kyle, who obviously believed he was acting on good intentions but he was just causing a scene. Luckily there were very few people around to witness it.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you, Guerin?” Kyle demanded. 

“Wrong with  _ me _ ? You’re the one yelling in the middle of the street”

Kyle lunged forward and grabbed a hold of Michael’s jacket, stared into his eyes with absolute hatred.

 

“He nearly  _ died _ , Guerin!” Kyle said through gritted teeth. “Alex was willing to give up his life for you, to die by your side because he couldn’t stand the idea of living without you!”

Kyle felt Michael’s body tense at his words but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Another ten, twenty seconds and it would’ve all been over… I almost lost him because of how much he loves you! Loves! You!” His voice hitched up until he was nearly screaming. “But you don’t deserve him!”

Kyle released his hold on Michael and swiftly punched him in the jaw. Maria shouted but Michael retaliated with his fist too. She knew she should intervene but she didn’t, not immediately, because she didn’t know which one to appeal to.

She eventually grabbed for Michael who stopped at her touch on his shoulder. Kyle was down on the ground, blood dripping from his nose.

 

“Don’t you dare” Michael kicked him. “Imply that I wanted any of this!” He knelt beside Kyle, leaned down to whisper in his ear “I tried to make him leave, told him I didn’t love him to make him go without me…  _ but he didn’t listen _ and he’s suffered more than enough”

Kyle spat in Michael’s face.

“We’ve  _ all _ suffered” Michael snapped “some more than others” he held up his hand to accentuate his point but froze when he remembered the physical scars had been healed and then tension seeped from his body. “One of us had to break the cycle” he said in defeat.

“But at what cost?” Kyle whispered.

 

Maria moved closer and held a hand out for Kyle but he didn’t accept it, simply continued to glare up at the couple but his eyes kept flicking back to Michael who had shoved his fixed hand into his pocket.

“What’s he talking about, Michael?” Maria asked him “when did you nearly die?”

“It’s nothing” Michael shrugged her off. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about”

 

He turned his back on Kyle only to have the doctor crash tackle him to the ground and punch him again. Michael caught Kyle’s hand before he could land a second punch.

“You should be ashamed of yourself” Kyle hissed “taking the cowards way out because you’re fucking scared” he paused “You’re scared he’ll hurt you so you hurt him first. Coward!”

Michael’s face distorted with anger and, embracing his powers, he threw Kyle off him and the doctor landed several feet away. Maria shrieked in shock but Kyle was quick to get back up.

 

“Kyle, please, just go” Maria begged him.

He sighed and shook his head.

“You really don’t feel anything? Knowing how much you hurt him?”

“This really isn’t anything to do with you, Kyle. Just walk away and let us deal with this, please?”

“Just so long as you both know that you’re shitty  _ people _ ” Kyle overemphasized the last word. 

 

He raised a hand to wipe his face, forgetting about his bleeding nose and he turned on his heel, walked back to his car. Kyle had thought confronting the couple would make him feel better; it didn’t.

 

*

 

When he finally arrived at Alex’s place for movie night, he was too ashamed to knock on the door so he just sat in the car, trying to stop his nose from bleeding. While searching for another tissue, there was a knock on the drivers window and Kyle turned to see Alex waving an ice pack in front of him.

 

He opened the door and stepped out of the car, shame and embarrassment on his face. Kyle wouldn’t look at Alex.

“Maria texted” Alex’s voice was deadpanned.

“I’m sorry” Kyle kept his gaze averted.

“She said I should go check on your drunk ass”

“I’m not drunk”

“I know”

 

Kyle reached into the car for the snacks he’d purchased then followed Alex inside. He let his friend push him down onto the couch then closed his eyes and winced when Alex pressed the ice pack to his face.

“I shouldn’t have done it” Kyle said, eyes still closed.

“But you did” Alex added.

“I was mad and pissed off and…”

“It’s sweet that you care, Kyle”

He opened his eyes and looked up at Alex in surprise.

“That’s it? No reprimands?” He asked him.

“You started a fight that you had zero chance of winning”

“Hey! You don’t kn-”

“Kyle, Guerin would hand your ass to you without so much as lifting a finger”

“Just so you know, I gave as good as I got though”

 

Alex smiled but even though his lips curled, it didn’t reach his eyes. Kyle sighed and reached out to take hold of his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Alex gave an exasperated sigh and quickly looked away.

“You shouldn’t have lashed out like that” Alex swallowed “they don’t deserve it”

“They hurt you, Alex” Kyle sat up straighter.

“I know… I know… I was there, remember?”

Kyle squeezed his hand again and offered another reassuring smile.

“I snapped at him” Kyle confessed “said a lot of shit I shouldn’t have”

“Oh?” Alex asked “such as?”

Kyle sighed and shrugged.

“Nothing that matters now”

 

He looked up and saw tears brimming in Alex’s eyes so he very quickly reached out and pulled him into his arms, held his friend in a comforting embrace.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Alex” he whispered as he ran his fingers through his hair “You’re right, I shouldn’t have said or done anything. You can fight your own battles; I just… wanted you to know that I was in your corner, that I had your back because you’re my friend and I care about you, Alex”

“I know” Alex nodded his head, his face buried against Kyle’s chest. “I’m glad you care about me”

 

“I was just… angry” Kyle continued “if you’d stayed with him, at Caulfield… you almost died, Alex and for what?”

“I love him, Kyle” Alex sobbed “and he broke my heart”

“I know he did; he’s a jerk”

“But I still love him” 

Kyle nodded his head then reached for the bag he’d brought with him, one handedly struggled to open the box of milk duds and offered it to Alex who let out another quiet sob but reached up to pluck a milk dud from the box.

 

“At least there’s no fireplace here” Alex mumbled as he curled up on the couch, head resting in Kyle’s lap while his friend continued to stroke his hair; Kyle smiled at the fact Alex  _ had _ remembered. 

“You know what hurts the most?” Alex asked Kyle.

“What?” Kyle wondered.

“Knowing that if he showed up on my door right now and told me he was sorry, that he loved me, still wants to be with me…” Alex sobbed “I’d take him back in a heartbeat”

Kyle closed his eyes in disappointment. Alex was right, that  _ did _ hurt the most.

 

“You think it cowardly of me?” Alex asked him “to still want him, to not want to be alone?”

“You’re no coward, Alex” Kyle insisted. “You’re still the bravest person I’ve ever met. How many people out there would be willing to die with the one they loved? You said yourself, you didn’t even hesitate… that it never once occurred to you to leave without him”

“What if he never comes back to me, Kyle?” Alex whispered.

 

But Kyle didn’t want to answer him, didn’t want to think about either possibility. If Guerin came back, he’d no doubt hurt Alex again but if he didn’t come back then Alex would probably never stop hurting. Both of these ideas tugged at Kyle’s heart.

 

“You’ll be okay, Alex” Kyle whispered “I promise”

  
  
  



End file.
